Astraphobia
by ZombifiedMira
Summary: And, as Ahiru crawled into his bed to lay besides him, Fakir couldn't help but wonder when he became a masochist. [Three-Shot]
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** A oneshot originally written as a belated christmas gift for a friend. Still debating on whether or not to do a second chapter, so if you want, consider adding to your alert list just in case~

* * *

**as·tra·pho·bi·a**

noun; a fear of thunder and lightning

* * *

She was staring at him.

Had been so, for the last half an hour infact.

Quill scratching against parchment, it was the only sound in the room besides the odd noise from her as she fidgeted upon the edge of the bed. Outside, a storm raged on, the weather having turned drastic over the past few hours, with wind and rain battering against the windows of the small house in a commendable attempt to rattle the framework. Occasionally, thunder could be heard, the quaking sound invoking fear within the eyes of the girl and a tremor throughout her body which went unseen by the writer. Over the course of her stay within the room, she had gradually moved closer and closer towards him until coming to sit on the very edge of the bed.

Her eyes continued to boar into him.

Sighing loudly, Fakir lifted his head, unaware of how the salmon haired girl from behind flinched at the first sound he'd made in so long. Turning away from his desk, piercing green eyes drilled into her own.

Ahiru blinked innocently beneath his gaze, seated with her hands in lap which clenched into the fabric of her clothing.. With it being so late, she sat dressed in a modest nightgown, complete with frills and ribbon adorning the sleeves and collar line. Even so, that still left much bare flesh, her knees and legs naked to his scrutiny. If he looked hard enough, he could almost catch sight of the creamy skin of her thighs-

_No!_

Fakir shook his head furiously of such thoughts, mentally chastising himself for thinking in such a manner. This was _Ahiru_, goddamit.

"Fakir? Are you alright?"

At her innocent voice, the dark haired youth returned his gaze towards her, ensuring this time to keep his eyes solely upon her face. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" He opted to ignore her question.

Cerulean eyes dimmed at his response, head lowering as fingers begun to toy with a loose thread upon her gown absent-mindedly. "It's frightening in there. Alone." It wasn't that Ahiru was afraid of the dark – _oh no!_ – but every time she tried to fall asleep, branches of a nearby tree would scratch against her window in the gale, casting rapid silhouettes against her wall. Not to mention that every sound of thunder sent her trembling and hiding her head beneath the pillow in fear.

The constant _moaning _of the wind went on and on, and eventually her mind started tricking her into believing she was hearing words and taunts. It had all become too much for the girl who had swiftly raced out of her room and barged into Fakir's further down the hall – he hadn't been too pleased at her bursting through the door so suddenly.

Fakir's eyes narrowed. "You're sixteen. You're not a little kid anymore, it's just a bit of thunder."

Ahiru lowered her head further at his cutting words, chewing her bottom lip in worry. She _was _sixteen now. She knew that. After years of living as a duck, the last ten months as a human girl – something which would be **permanent** this time – had been filled with amazement and awe. Ahiru couldn't ever thank Charon and Fakir enough for allowing her to take their spare room. After becoming human, Fakir had introduced her to Charon as his "long-time pen pal" who was visiting Germany as an exchange student and in need of a place to live – Ahiru tried her best to smile and not let it stab too deeply that everybody besides Fakir and Autor in Kinkan Town had forgotten her.

Being the kind man he was, Charon agreed without too much questioning – he trusted Fakir after all. And from there, Ahiru re-enrolled within the academy and returned to the ballet she loved so much. It had almost broken her heart when Pique and Lilie – now a few years above her since Ahiru remained in the same low class upon re-joining – didn't recognise her. But somehow, as if a part of them distantly remembered her, both girls had welcomed her into their friendship group with open arms.

Ahiru couldn't ask for anything more in her life. She was happy. And she couldn't ever show her gratitude to Fakir enough – he was the one who gave her such a life back after all.

However, even all the happiness in the world didn't mean she wasn't prone to becoming scared and upset. An action that would occur again without doubt if she returned to her room now by herself.

"I don't see why I can't sleep with you." Ahiru muttered, glancing aside with a pout. "When I was a duck, some nights when it was freezing you let me-"

"Yes, and that was when you were a _duck_." Fakir interrupted curtly. "Things change." She couldn't honestly expect him to let her sleep in bed with him as she was _now_, did she?

Oh, who was he kidding, this was _Ahiru_ – of course she would find no problems with such a suggestion. He gritted his teeth together in frustration at the thought, her naivety would be his undoing one day. As if on queue, she lifted her head a moment later, wide innocent eyes capturing his own and bottom lip caught between her teeth causing him to tense. If it was anyone else, he would have accused them of doing it on purpose!– But, then again, Ahiru was the exception as always. She probably didn't even know the meaning of seduction.

And so it was, that taking a deep breath, Fakir used all his will power to tear his eyes away and back onto the unfinished papers laid out before him. "Go back to bed, moron."

Ahiru's pout deepened at his retort, shoulders slumping as she blew air out between her lips in frustration. She didn't want to go back. But, at the same time, Fakir clearly didn't want her here. Standing up, the young girl walked over towards the door, and with one last quick glance Fakir's way, left him to his own devices.

* * *

Fakir was dreaming.

It was a fond dream actually, within it he happened to be a young child again, playing happily with Mytho. Only, this wasn't the heartless Mytho he'd come to grow up with. This was Mytho as Prince Seigfried, his heart and personality intact. The two young boys smiled as they played hop skotch upon a road whilst – for some odd reason – it rained chocolate drops. Then again, dreams scarcely made sense did they?

"…kir."

Hm?

"F…kir."

He frowned in his sleep, what was that?

"Fakir!"

"Aah!" Eyes snapping wide open as something touched his face, the figure above him hastily pulled away. It took Fakir a few deep breathes to calm down, before he eventually pushed himself up, one hand running through unkempt hair.

Sighing, he let his eyes slide over towards the other presence in the room. He'd recognise that voice anywhere. "What are you doing in here?" It had to be something like 1am in the morning by now.

"I- That is-" Stumbling over her words, only when noting the stern look he sent her way, did Ahiru begin speaking clearly. "That is… I… was scared…" Voice barely audible, Ahiru stared at her feet as she fidgeted. It was stupid, she knew that. Like Fakir said, she was sixteen right? She shouldn't be scared of a little storm.

…But she was.

Fakir watched her silently for a moment (trying to ignore how she'd let her hair down upon returning to bed, and how he'd very much like for her to have it in such a way more often), noting how she appeared to be shivering. Whether from the cold or fear of the storm, he didn't know – maybe both – but it was this latter observation that made him give in.

One night was fine right?

"Get in."

"Huh?" Lifting her head, upon seeing him lifting the blankets for her, a large smile broke out across her face. Moving onto the bed besides him, Fakir held back a sigh at the predicament he'd caught himself into as Ahiru moved to face him. Once settled, he pulled the blankets back over, the two resting on their sides and facing one another. It occurred to him that perhaps he should turn over so their faces weren't so close, but as a hand tentatively held the front of his shirt, blue eyes flicking towards his face in a silent questioning - _'is this alright?'_ - he relented. Closing his eyes - _'it's fine'_ - he tried to desperately ignore how nervous she looked whilst hiding his own trepidation at the situation.

Meanwhile, fighting back a blush – and failing – Ahiru returned her gaze to his chest, trying to consciously keep enough distance between them. She didn't want to impose too much on Fakir, and he was probably annoyed at her invading his bed like this in the middle of the night. But the thought of returning to that room alone!– It just wasn't something she wanted to do.

Eyes squeezed shut, it wasn't until a moment later that Ahiru found herself almost falling off the edge of the bed. Barely having time to let out a startled cry, Fakir secured an arm around her mid-section and tugged her closer, the result being their bodies pressed tightly against one another. Cheek against his chest, Ahiru stared ahead wide-eyed, aware of every inch of contact as Fakir's body heat encompassed her and his heart pounding erratically beneath her ear. At least she now knew he was nervous as well.

"You okay?"

Ahiru nodded stiffly. "F-Fine." She cringed when her voice came out as a squeak, settling for burying her face into his chest whilst grasping tightly to his shirt. Hopefully he didn't mind her using his chest as a place to hide her blushing face.

Fakir who had been concerned by her silent and tense attitude, was the one to be affected this time. Swallowing as he wondered just how long the night would last, fingers grasped into the fabric of her nightgown at her back. He could only hope hormones didn't arise tonight and give him an unwanted appearance within his pants – the _last_ thing he needed was Ahiru questioning what was pressing against her leg in that innocent tone of hers.

Still, as he breathed in, it was hard to ignore how good she smelled. Whatever shampoo she used was great. Likewise, her bare legs tangled with his own, and Fakir idly wondered how smooth they were since he couldn't tell through the fabric of his pants.

Time passed by quietly, and it was a long time before the silence was broken by something suddenly banging against his window, no doubt one of many things blown away by the wind. However, the reaction it invoked in Ahiru was instantaneous, the petite girl flinching and pressing further up against him and– oh god, she wasn't wearing a bra was she?

Holding back a strangled groan, Fakir placed both hands on her shoulders and shoved her back to tell her this was a bad idea and– suddenly green eyes met with a pair of surprised oceanic eyes.

And fearful too.

…She really did hate storms, didn't she?

All thoughts of saying she should go back to her own room, that this wasn't a good idea, died on his tongue. And again, he felt tremors passing through her body beneath his fingertips. With a resigned sigh – did he enjoy torturing himself like this? – Fakir pulled her back into his arms. "Never mind." He murmured, as an answer to her questioning gaze.

Head resting against his chest, Ahiru found a small smile appearing upon her face. She somehow always felt safe within Fakir's arms. Like nothing bad could ever happen, his presence acting as a shield to anything possible bad. Time passed by with nothing unsaid, and the duo remained in tight embrace.

Minutes later, just before she fell asleep, Ahiru found herself whispering. "Thank you Fakir…"

A pause, and she thought he'd fallen asleep already but then–

"Any time."

That night, for the first time in her life, Ahiru fell asleep during a storm peacefully.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Okay. I wrote a second part! And I don't write Princess Tutu fanfiction often, so forever keeping fingers crossed that I have both of them in character. And uh, yeah, expect a third addition too since Ahiru and Fakir like to slip between my fingers when I'm trying to write them and move away from where I wanted them to go.

* * *

**mas·och·ism**

noun; the act of turning one's destructive tendencies inward or upon oneself.

* * *

Bare feet padded across wooden floor as the young girl came to a stop besides his bed, Fakir barely cast a glance over his shoulder before he was already lifting the blankets with a grunted "get in." Lips curved upwards into a wide smile as Ahiru clambered in besides him, all previous fear of the storm eradicated once by his side.

Somehow, such an event had become something of a habit.

Whenever there was a storm, she'd appear. And, without a word, he would let her join him. No matter what effect it had upon him.

He feared to think what Charon's reaction would be if he caught them in bed together – no matter how innocent the act was. Months had passed by since the first occurrence, and while Fakir enjoyed having Ahiru close enough that he could count the freckles dotted upon her face, it did pose something of a problem. He was a teenage boy after all – well, barely, he'd be twenty in under a year – and he suffered from hormones. So sleeping in the same bed with the girl he held affection for was bound to take _some_ toll on his body, and he found his dreams involved Ahiru more and more often as of lately. He had lost count of how many mornings he'd awoken only to dowse himself beneath a cold shower, all too soon running into the younger girl afterwards and ending up flustered.

It had gotten to the point where he'd begun forcing himself to write until late in the morning beyond exhaustion, hoping to let out his frustrations on paper and put off sleeping, and as such, the risk of dreaming certain erotic events.

The bags beneath his eyes were noticeable by everyone. Charon had voiced his concern and lectured him on getting a proper night's sleep, and Ahiru had gone on about how awful he looked and how he needed to take better care of himself. Upon visiting, even Rachael has pointed out the dark circles beneath his eyes and fussed over him (he had the sneaking suspicion she'd conversed about him with Ahiru, as well).

It really was getting out of hand.

And so, on one night when another storm had taken hold of Kinkan Town, he decided something needed to be done.

Sat upon his bed reading a book with his back against the wall, his gaze flickered towards Ahiru who remained cross-legged not too far from him, enraptured with reading some of his recent stories. He tried not to notice how much skin was left on show from her choice in seating position, but really, such a thing was impossible.

Such thoughts were an incentive for him to voice his next words. "You should return to your room."

Ahiru snapped her head around at his words, eyes wide with questioning and confusion. "Huh?"

Raising his eyes, he locked gazes with her. "Do you want to continue being afraid of storms? You need to at least try to overcome this fear of yours. What are you going to do if I'm not here one night-"

"You're going somewhere?"

"I-" The flow of his thoughts was fractured by her sudden interruption, causing him to pause for a moment before replying. "No."

"Then, you will _one day_ leave somewhere?" Ahiru asked, expression dim.

Fakir sighed, eyes closing briefly as he shut the book between his hands. "Who knows. Perhaps." He had graduated from the academy the previous year with high grades across all his subjects, offering him a wide scope of what he could do with the rest of his life. For now and and the next year, the young writer had opted to do nothing, instead choosing to help with Charon's work – and, also, because he wanted to watch over a certain salmon haired girl. Fakir wouldn't deny he didn't want to leave Ahiru so soon after she had regained her human form. However, if he so chose, he knew he could attend a college or university by taking an entrance exam sometime, something he mused upon frequently.

Ahiru's lips turned down, head lowering as she returned her gaze to the words before her though she didn't take in a single letter. She wanted to say _'I'll miss you'_ but such words sounded whiny to her own ears, so she opted to remain silent on that subject.

Fakir was about to bring up the matter of her returning to her own room once again, when the sky outside the window lit up, lightning streaking into existence. Cerulean eyes widened, and before Fakir could even comprehend what was happening, Ahiru had leaped forward against him, arms thrown around his neck as her head buried into the crook of his shoulder.

He froze.

Silence descended upon the room, the rain pelting against the window the only sound. Body tense, Fakir glanced down at the petite girl suddenly in his lap, body shivering as her heavy breathing fanned across the skin of his neck – almost making _him_ tremble.

It took a few moments, but he eventually found his voice. "You okay?"

A pause. "M-Mhhm." Fingers clenched into the fabric of his shirt. "Sorry."

"What are you apologising for?"

"Bothering you."

"You're not bothering me, idiot."

At this, Ahiru slowly pulled away though her hands remained on his chest. Meeting his eyes with her own, she responded, "then why did want me to leave?"

…_ah_.

"That- I wasn't saying that because you bother me." He replied, exasperated as he ran a hand through his hair. Unable to meet her innocent gaze, Fakir settled for glancing aside. "It's just a matter of what's proper, is all."

"Sleeping in the same bed isn't proper?"

"Not unless you're married, it's not!"

Head having snapped around to lock gazes with her once again, green eyes narrowed, wondering how she could be so god damn clueless all the time. Ahiru flinched at his sudden outburst but otherwise seemed undeterred, continuing to stare at him and- wait, was she blushing? Fakir wished he could have read her mind to figure out what she was thinking.

Ahiru meanwhile, was thankful he _couldn't._ Thoughts leaping ahead of her and conjuring up images of herself in a flowing white gown as she besides Fakir and-

No, no, no, what was she thinking? Shaking her head to rid herself of such thoughts (inadvertently causing Fakir to quirk an eyebrow at her odd behaviour) Ahiru chastised herself. She didn't know for sure if Fakir felt that way about her yet! (Though Pique and Lilie insisted he did from the way he 'looked at her' apparently).

She lifted her head to find him staring down at her. But, he didn't seem to be watching her in any particular way that could be meaningful. Infact, he seemed simply confused if anything. Pique and Lilie didn't know what they were talking about.

"Ahiru-"

"Sorry, Fakir." She interrupted in a soft murmur, detaching herself from him. "I'll return to my own room."

He frowned. "Hey."

Having moved to the edge of the bed, Ahiru glanced back at him.

Fakir sighed. "It's fine. You can stay in here." He didn't want her to leave. And how could he force her to when she was terrified of what went on outside? He'd be the biggest asshole in the town if he left her alone to tremble in her bed all night.

"But you said-"

"I know what I said." He replied gruffly, folding his arms. "And I changed my mind, you're staying." It was wrong of him to reprimand her for a fear she had, she couldn't help it after all. What kind of friend was he if he didn't support her?

The girl before him gave a small, slightly shy, smile. "Even next time?"

"Even next time." He repeated, stoic expression melting to return the curve of the lips.

Ahiru's smile widened ear to ear, eyes glittering with happiness, and Fakir felt a swell of pride that he'd been the one to make her appear in such a way. That light-weight feeling however, soon disappeared as Ahiru leaned forward, hands and knees on the blankets and the neckline of her gown falling down some to show him what lay inside.

Blushing furiously, Fakir turned his head. "M-Moron, sit properly!"

"Eh? Why?"

Why!? Fakir snapped his head back around to find her watching him curiously, though now thankfully sat up right. Before he could go on however, she interrupted him.

"What if… I never get over my fear of storms?"

He stared. Many moments passed before Fakir released a soft sigh, eyes closing. "Then I'll never be getting a bed to myself it seems."

"Do you mean that, Fakir?"

Reopening his eyes, Fakir gazed at the girl before him, blue eyes hopeful and trusting. How such a genuine and selfless person had come into his life, he didn't know. Regardless of who she met, Ahiru seemed to melt all guarded walls everyone had about them, slipping through the cracks with ease - he was no exception.

He smiled. "Yeah, I do."

Ahiru's breath hitched at the response, eyes widening. Beneath his soft expression and kind, unwavering gaze, she wondered if this was what Pique and Lilie meant by him staring at her particularly.

She wanted to question him on it, herself. But right now didn't seem the right time, so she remained silent, continuing to smile back as he directed that look at her.

One day, she promised herself.


End file.
